Chinese False Colours

A flag captured from a Chinese pirate steam launch by Lieutenant J.A.H. Hunter of HMS 'Nessus' during 1926 in the Canton Region. It consists of two flags on the same hoist. The smaller upper one shows the Kuomintang white sun in a blue sky design. The lower flag has the Chinese characters 'YUE JUN DIYI SHI SHIZHANG' (Flag of the Divisional Commander of the First Division of the Army of Guangdong) and the large single character 'Li' (the surname of Li Jishen, commander in chief of the Guangdong Army). The characters are resist dyed, showing white on a blue background and the flags are machine sewn with the hoist on the right. As the design is a version of an official Chinese government flag, it is presumably false colours.

Object Details

ID: AAA0527
Collection: Flags
Type: Flag
Display location: Not on display
Vessels: Nessus 1926 [HMS]
Date made: circa 1926
People: Army of Guangdong; Hunter, J A H Li Jishen
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 1224 x 1105 mm